By Eve Muthoni
The ICC Kenya Business Summit 2026 (February 11-12) brought together business leaders, investors, development partners, and government decision-makers to shape the future of African business and trade.
Over two days, leaders explored opportunities in energy transition, sustainable agriculture, digital trade, financing solutions, and digital transformation.
Duncan Onyango, Chief Executive Officer of Trade Catalyst Africa, participated in a panel discussion on the digitalisation of trade and trade finance. Alongside customs officials from the Kenya Revenue Authority, development finance experts from the Tony Blair Institute, and payments infrastructure specialists from SWIFT, the debate covered border modernisation, regulatory reform, SME inclusion in trade, and innovative methods for financing trade, with an emphasis on implementation.
Duncan outlined TCA’s approach at two levels: helping SMEs access finance by digitising their trade documents and using their transaction history as proof of creditworthiness, and making large infrastructure projects—ports, corridors, industrial parks—more attractive to investors by reducing risk and demonstrating the business case. Show investors what they’re backing, and capital follows.
The panel’s conclusion was clear: Africa has the requisite digital building blocks, the continental vision (the AfCFTA Digital Protocol), and the financing tools (catalytic capital and data-driven credit). What remains is implementation – harmonising laws, upgrading infrastructure, and training border officials.
The opportunity here is not incremental; it is structural, and it is urgent.
#CatalysingAfricaTradeForProsperity #TradeFinance
